Army rolls out new combat fitness test for frontline troops

The Army announced in a news release earlier this week that it is rolling out a new combat fitness test for frontline troops as leaders push to strengthen battlefield readiness amid ongoing recruiting challenges.

The Combat Field Test (CFT), which is age and gender-neutral, applies to soldiers in combat specialties, is designed to mirror the physical demands of modern warfare and signals a shift toward stricter, role-specific standards as the Army looks to boost readiness across its ranks.

The move comes after the Army missed recruiting targets in recent years, including falling roughly 15,000 soldiers short in 2022, according to U.S. Army Recruiting Command data, as leaders work to rebuild enlistment numbers and overall force strength.

While the service has since rebounded to meet its 2025 targets, leaders continue to work on long-term readiness.

The update follows broader changes to Army fitness standards in recent years.

In 2025, the service announced a new Army Fitness Test to replace the previous Army Combat Fitness Test, after months of data analysis and feedback, with officials saying the changes were designed to improve readiness and emphasize combat effectiveness.

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The update comes amid War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broader push to shift the military back to what he calls the “warrior ethos.”

“The Combat Field Test is a critical step forward in ensuring our soldiers serving in the most physically demanding specialties have the specific fitness required to dominate on the modern battlefield,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in a statement Wednesday. “This is about readiness, lethality and the well-being of our soldiers.”

A spokesperson for the Army did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Soldiers will have 30 minutes to complete seven events with the clock running continuously while wearing the Army Combat Uniform and boots.

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They must first run one mile, followed by 30 dead-stop push-ups, a 100-meter sprint, 16 lifts of a 40-pound sandbag onto a 65-inch platform and a 50-meter carry of two Army water cans weighing 40 pounds each.

The test then requires soldiers to complete a 50-meter movement drill with a high crawl and a 25-meter three- to five-second rush before a final one-mile run.

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The Army will begin implementing the new test this month, and soldiers will be required to complete it annually.

During the first year of the rollout, soldiers will not face penalties as the Army phases in the new standard, part of a broader effort to prepare troops for the physical demands of modern combat.